climate change

“Climate change is the most severe problem that we are facing today, more serious even than the threat of terrorism."  David King, former UK Government Chief Scientific Adviser.

“Climate change should be seen as the greatest challenge to face man and treated as a much bigger priority in the United Kingdom.”  HRH Prince Charles.

Climate change is one of the greatest environmental, social and economic threats facing the planet.

The warming of the climate system is unequivocal, as is now evident from observations of increases in global average air and ocean temperatures, widespread melting of snow and ice, and rising global mean sea level.

The Kyoto Protocol was the first legally binding international treaty requiring developed nations to cut their emissions of greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide (introduced in February 2005).  The Government has set a domestic goal to go beyond the Kyoto commitment and by 2010 cut the UK’s emissions of CO2 to 20% below the levels emitted in 1990.  In addition, the Government has set a long-term target of reducing CO2 emissions to 60% below current levels by 2050 (The Energy White Paper, 2003).

Increasing the use of renewable energy will play a vital role in reducing CO2 emissions.  In 2006, 4.6% of the UK’s electricity supply came from renewable energy sources, up from 3.6% in 2004 and 4.2% in 2005 (UK Energy in Brief).  To meet the Government’s renewable energy targets, this contribution will need to be increased to 10% by 2010, 15% by 2015, with an aspirational target of 20% by 2020.

Projected global warming this century is likely to trigger serious consequences for humanity and other life forms, including a rise in sea levels of between 18 and 59cm which will endanger coastal areas and small islands, and a greater frequency and severity of extreme weather events.

As part of combating global warming, we need to use electricity in a more careful and more sustainable manner. Our reliance on and use of electricity is increasing: domestic energy consumption increased by 32% from 1970 to 2001, and by 19% from 1990 to 2001 (Energy Consumption in the UK, DTI 2001). 

"The RSPB views climate change as the most serious long-term threat to wildlife in the UK and globally and, therefore, we support the Government's target to source 15% of electricity from renewables by 2015. The RSPB favours a broad mix of renewables... wind power has the greatest potential to make a significant difference in the UK in the coming decade. It is the most advanced and widely available of the new renewable technologies". RSPB

"Our climate is changing – both in Britain and round the world. Because of man-made pollution that traps the sun's heat, the planet may never have warmed as fast as it has in the past 25 years. The years 2005 and 1998 were probably the warmest years of the last millennium. The 1990s was the warmest decade and the 20th century the warmest century.

This is going at affect us all, and the evidence of the first signs of climate change is all around us. In Europe, the glaciers of the Alps are disappearing and droughts in the Mediterranean are worsening. Southern Spain is turning to desert. In the tropics, high sea temperatures whip up unprecedented storms and hurricanes that bring floods and lethal landslides. In Siberia, roads buckle as permafrost melts. And, as ice melts and oceans warm, sea levels worldwide are rising." Environment Agency